Chapter 142: The Enchantress

Chapter 142: The Enchantress

"You're so naughty, A Ye, I'm angry." Lin Shu harbored mischief in her heart but feigned indignation.

She played the part so convincingly that Zhou Ye couldn't discern if her anger was genuine or feigned.

He quickly apologized, "A Shu, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

He didn't get to finish before Lin Shu yanked him forward by his collar.

She tugged so hard that his collar ripped open, revealing a broad expanse of his firm chest muscles.

Lin Shu blinked, her gaze involuntarily lingering there, even wandering further down.

Zhou Ye felt a strange embarrassment and tried to pull his collar back together, but she held on tightly.

"Stop pretending, what's there to be shy about? When you're fishing by the river, building Uncle Zhao San’s thatched hut, or even sleeping at night, you’re always shirtless. You never seemed shy then, so why are you acting like a bashful young bride just because I opened your collar?"

Lin Shu lowered her head, burying it in his chest, and reached directly for his belt. Startled, Zhou Ye grabbed her wrist. "A Shu!"

"Don't get the wrong idea. I just want to check out your abdomen, A Ye. I love the muscles on your body, especially there. Let me see. If you let me see, I won’t hold it against you for stealing that kiss earlier."

"A Shu, don’t…" Zhou Ye objected verbally, but his grip on her wrist loosened slightly.

He shot nervous glances around. The quiet forest contained nothing but flowers, trees, grass, and stones, and only the sounds of birds and insects. It felt as if the two of them were the only people in the vast world.

As the coarse hemp belt was about to be untied by A Shu, Zhou Ye took a deep breath. Though his hands remained still, he tried to stop her again. "A Shu, quit messing around. I’ll show you when we get back tonight, alright?"

"No, it’s too dark at night, I won’t be able to see clearly. You don’t mind others seeing you shirtless, so why can’t I look? I’m not even taking it all off." Lin Shu grumbled.

Zhou Ye: …

He never minded being shirtless, but now, fully clothed, he was being undressed by A Shu, who was staring at him with that look in her eyes. What once felt ordinary now felt entirely different.

Yet, he gave in to her.

As the belt came undone and his short robe fell open, A Shu’s warm hand suddenly touched his waist and abdomen, making Zhou Ye tremble. Where she touched tingled with strange sensation.

His breath hitched, but he forced himself to stay calm. "Are you done, A Shu…"

But Lin Shu, while gently stroking the firm muscles of his abdomen, gazed at him with tender affection in her dewy eyes. Her words made Zhou Ye's bones melt. "A Ye gege, my mouth is feeling dry. Could you quench my thirst?"

She thought of herself as experienced, believing she could say such suggestive things without blushing or losing her composure. But she had overestimated herself—the moment the words left her mouth, her cheeks flushed red.

Lin Shu didn’t know where she found the courage, as if all the bold words she’d heard in her past life had suddenly found their use in this one.

She wondered if she might scare A Ye with her behavior…

Even Zhou Ye, however naive, understood her meaning.

They had just drunk water earlier—what she wanted from him was certainly not water.

His gaze darkened, growing increasingly intense.

Lin Shu felt a flicker of hesitation under his hungry look, but a strange competitive streak surged within her. She met his gaze without blinking. "You dummy, don’t tell me you didn’t understand. I want you to kiss—ah!"

With a soft gasp, Zhou Ye scooped her up in his arms.

Lin Shu immediately clung to him like a vine, holding him tightly. Feeling the tension and heat radiating from his body, she smiled with satisfaction.

She had been right—if A Ye still didn’t make a move after she’d said such things, he wouldn’t be a real man.

"A Shu, where did you learn such risqué talk?" Zhou Ye stared intently at Lin Shu, his voice low and heavy.

Like a mountain enchantress, Lin Shu gave him a charming smile, her eyes hooking him like a seductress. "A Ye, just tell me, do you like it or not?"

Zhou Ye’s throat moved. It was hard to say he didn’t like it.

But A Shu’s behavior was truly, truly something else…

"Do you understand the word ‘amorous play’? This is role-playing. Look at how beautiful the mountain scenery is—don’t you think a enchantress might appear? A fairy-like enchantress sees a country man gathering wild fruits in the mountains. He has thick eyebrows, bright eyes, and such a strong, sturdy build. She can’t help but be tempted and decides to seduce him for a passionate tryst. The two of them, with the sky as their blanket and the earth as their bed—mmph!"

Zhou Ye watched her red lips part and close, listening to her increasingly bold words, and could no longer hold back. He lowered his head and fiercely crushed his mouth against hers.

He didn’t understand role-playing, but he knew A Shu was very different from her usual self, like a enchantress trying to drain a man’s energy.

But he was willing to let her take it.

He had plenty of energy and vitality. If she wanted it, she could have it.

Zhou Ye supported Lin Shu’s bottom, making sure she could only cling to him. He loved the feeling of A Shu relying solely on him.

After the initial surprise, Lin Shu responded passionately, even letting out a low, wicked chuckle between their lips.

Her response made Zhou Ye’s breathing grow heavy.

Not only did she respond with her lips, but she also took advantage of their position to roam more boldly across his waist and abdomen. She adored his powerful, muscular body.

Bookish scholars weren’t her type—she preferred A Ye’s wildly muscular build. Now that he was hers, she couldn’t deny that she had been drawn to his body from the moment she first saw him.

Of course, that alone wasn’t enough to turn her into an enchantress in front of A Ye. What she loved even more was the careful thought hidden beneath his rugged exterior and his quiet, hardworking nature.

At one point, Lin Shu’s wandering hands accidentally crossed a line.

Zhou Ye drew a sharp breath, wanting to grab her wrist to stop her, but he couldn’t bear to lose the tingling sensation her touch brought.

In the end, he didn’t pull away. Instead, his hands tightened around A Shu, sinking deeper, and his lips and tongue entwined with hers more fiercely.

He thought he could remain clear-headed at all times, but even as he kept one ear alert to their surroundings, the strange sensations overwhelmed him, leaving him intoxicated.

…

Lin Shu felt as if she were about to faint.

She had intended to tease the honest man, but she hadn’t expected A Ye to be so fierce. He kissed her until her lips felt swollen, her tongue went numb, and her soul seemed to leave her body.

That scoundrel A Ye—how many times had it been? And he still kissed with such wild abandon!

She bit his tongue.

Zhou Ye loosened his grip slightly, his voice hoarse and breathless. "A Shu, I’m sorry, I forgot to let you breathe again."

"Take a break, and we’ll continue after."

Lin Shu caught her breath, which was even more ragged than his, and scolded, "You brute, who said I want to continue—mmph!"

Zhou Ye was usually an honest man, but even honest men have their limits. Besides, he wasn’t entirely the straightforward type.

He hadn’t asked A Shu to seduce him, but she insisted—and in such a way. How could he possibly resist?

He stopped restraining himself. It would be better if A Shu became afraid, so she might restrain herself a bit in the future.

With that excuse in mind, Zhou Ye kissed even more intensely, this time even consuming the glistening tears and the flush at the corners of her eyes.

When he allowed her a moment to catch her breath, his lips and tongue didn’t stop. He kissed her forehead, her nose, his fiery lips tracing every inch of her delicate skin, as if wanting to cover her entire being with his scent.

Lin Shu whimpered.

She felt A Ye had gone crazy.

She had only wanted a simple kiss, assuming that even at his worst, he’d be like he was at night. But it was still broad daylight, and they were outdoors—how could he be even more fierce and greedy than at night?

Lin Shu didn’t know that, for Zhou Ye, the mountains felt more liberating than their small thatched hut. Here, he didn’t have to suppress his heavy panting, and he could clearly see her flushed, captivating face.

“A Ye, enough—mmph.”

It wasn’t enough.

Zhou Ye suddenly pinned Lin Shu against the sturdy Nanking Cherry tree behind her, holding her in place as he continued to kiss her.

This time, however, he was much gentler. Lin Shu’s mind emptied from his kisses, but her hearing sharpened several times over.

Amid the chirping of insects in the forest, under the Nanking Cherry tree, their lips and tongues intertwined, exchanging saliva, the wet, smacking sounds making her face burn with embarrassment.

Zhou Ye’s ears turned red too. A long while later, he finally released her, reluctantly pecking her swollen, glistening lips once more before asking in a hoarse voice, “A Shu, are you still thirsty?”

Lin Shu breathed heavily, her legs hanging weakly around him. If he weren’t holding her, she would have slid to the ground—all the strength she had used to cling to him earlier was completely gone.

She finally believed it—this kind of thing could truly make one go weak all over. Just from a kiss, she had turned into a puddle of mush. She couldn’t imagine what would become of her if she and A Ye ever went further.

But was this really just a kiss? A Ye had nearly devoured her…

When she heard A Ye’s question, Lin Shu didn’t reply. Instead, she shot a weak glare at him, unaware of how seductive her languid, half-lidded eyes appeared.

Zhou Ye stared at her, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “A Shu, I’m still a bit thirsty.”

“…You brute, A Ye! I’m not thirsty anymore!”

Lin Shu finally understood the saying “you’ve made your bed, now lie in it.”

She had thought that A Ye would be restrained outdoors, that a quick kiss and a touch would be enough. Who knew the reality would be the complete opposite? Out here in the wild mountains, A Ye was like an unbridled stallion.

But what impressed Lin Shu even more was his self-control.

Even in such a state, he could restrain himself to just kissing, without going further.

Zhou Ye held her for a while without speaking. By the time their breathing finally calmed, his body had settled down as well.

Lin Shu blinked, unable to say anything except, “So impressive.”

After all, she was the one who started it. If A Ye had made any further demands, she might not have refused. But whether he didn’t understand or didn’t want to, he had forcefully restrained himself.

Zhou Ye gently touched Lin Shu’s flushed cheek and set her down, his expression apologetic. “A Shu, I’m sorry… I lost control earlier…”

As soon as he let go, Lin Shu’s knees buckled the moment her feet touched the ground, and she nearly collapsed.

Ahhh! Her legs were gone, completely gone! They had turned into two limp noodles!

Zhou Ye quickly caught her and pulled her into his arms. “A Shu, what’s wrong?”

Lin Shu glared at him, embarrassed and indignant. “My legs went weak from your kissing.”

Zhou Ye’s face instantly turned dark red. A Shu was becoming bolder and more direct in front of him, and while he found it hard to handle, he realized—somewhere deep down—he liked it.

Because with just one sentence, she had stirred his desire again.

“A Shu, I was too rough earlier. I’m sorry. Next time… next time I’ll control myself better.”

Reluctantly, Zhou Ye gave Lin Shu a firm hug before carefully seating her on a clean rock. “A Shu, sit here and rest for a while. I’ll go pick some Nanking Cherries for you.”

He didn’t dare stay so close to A Shu any longer—he needed to distract himself with something else.

So, Lin Shu watched as Zhou Ye, now half-dressed again, took a few steps back, then suddenly sprinted forward, leaping up and using the tree trunk to push off. In just two or three moves, he had climbed high into the tall Nanking Cherry tree.

Lin Shu’s eyes widened in amazement. “Wow!”

Although she had been incredibly strong in her previous life, she was nowhere near as agile as Zhou Ye. He moved as if he could truly scale walls and leap over rooftops!

Fifteen minutes later, Lin Shu was eating the reddest, sweetest Nanking Cherries Zhou Ye had picked from the tree.

They were still a bit tart, but Lin Shu ate them with delight.

After gathering several handfuls of Nanking Cherries and locating a few more raspberry bushes, the two began their journey back once Lin Shu had her fill.

Zhou Ye automatically took her hand.

“A Ye, you’re amazing. I can’t even find the way we came—how do you tell the direction?”

“I can’t really explain it, but I know where Sweetwater Village is. No matter how far we go, I can always find my way back. But most people would easily get lost going this deep, which is why very few people venture into this part of the mountain.”

“Since we’ve come so deep, why haven’t we seen any wild rabbits or pheasants?” Lin Shu asked.

Zhou Ye laughed. “A Shu, this isn’t deep enough.”

“This isn’t deep enough? No wonder you always spend the night in the mountains when you go hunting. We’ve only been walking for a bit, and the sun is already setting. A Ye, how do you spend the night deep in the mountains? Without anyone keeping watch, can you sleep alone?”

“There are plenty of shelters deep in the mountains. I find a dry cave and block the entrance with a large rock—then I can sleep safely through the night.”

“A Ye, tell me more about your trips into the mountains. I want to hear.”

“Alright…”

Zhou Ye held Lin Shu’s hand as they walked, sharing stories. Unconsciously, they drew closer and closer to the mountain outskirts.

A faint, indescribable reluctance stirred in his heart.

He loved bringing A Shu into the mountains—loved the tranquility of having only the two of them, undisturbed by anyone.

In his mind, Zhou Ye recalled their passionate moment under the Nanking Cherry tree and honestly admitted to himself: He especially loved how A Shu, emboldened by the mountain’s solitude, boldly and passionately tempted him.

But…

He felt a pang of regret. Today, he had lost control, kissing her too intensely and greedily. A Shu probably wouldn’t easily offer him such sweetness again.

“A Shu,” he suddenly called out to her.

Perhaps the liberty of the mountains had made him less ashamed of his desires, less inclined to hide them. Shedding his earlier restraint, he gazed into Lin Shu’s sparkling eyes, tightening his grip on her hand as he asked in a low voice, “Will you come find me tonight?”

Lin Shu was taken aback. Staring at his somewhat nervous expression, she suddenly chuckled. “A Ye, I’ve corrupted you.”